Residents Remember Tropical Storm Lee, Brace For Possible Isaac Visit

DRANESVILLE, Va. (WUSA) -- As we approach the one year anniversary of Tropical Storm Lee, we could also be days away from Tropical Storm Isaac paying a visit to our region.

Tropical Storm Lee washed away more than a dozen bridges and roads in Fairfax County.

Folks remember how flood waters wiped out the bridge at Towlston Road near Old Dominion Drive in Dranesville in Fairfax County. It's been replaced by a temporary bridge of pipe culverts and rocks.

Like so many bridges, there's been no permanent fix on the washed out bridges.

Charlotte Edwards had to take the long way around to do her errands for two months straight while VDOT made repairs.

"It meant I had to go two and a half miles out of my way to get out of my house to go the other way and around. It seemed like years but it was definitely a long time," she said. "All the roads to route 7 were washed out. We were joking that we lived in a cul de sac."Overbearing flood waters wiped out bridges across Fairfax County creating sink holes that cars fell into.Edwards said, "They should spend the money to do it right and build a bridge, stop piecemealing it. It's been going on for 30 years."

In fact, that's what's in the works.Fairfax County Board of Supervisor John Foust of Dranesville says VDOT will be using new technology to built a stronger bridge to withstand heavy rain.VDOT crews were out Thursday afternoon making notes for the new concrete bridge. But the bridge won't be done until 2014.The current temporary bridge, Foust says, is not built to withstand major storms. Foust said, "If something happens, we'll be ready to respond." It will cost roughly $1 million to $1.5 million to replace each bridge. Since it will take VDOT one to two years to complete, there's nothing anyone can do now except watch and hope that another storm doesn't wash them away.